Corporate Affairs
by Kazevita
Summary: Lost in the tumbling sea of corporate business in none other than New York City, Ja'far must decide whose trust he will betray and at what cost. Only time will tell which he values more, duty or love. Modern AU. Sinja.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magi: The Labyrinth of Magi**

**A/N: Here we go again folks and its an AU, how exciting is that?!**

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Ja'far stared at his own reflection in the mirror that completely covered the entire wall behind the counter, creating the illusion that the bar was much larger than it actually was. But in New York City nothing could be too big, then it got too expensive. Beer in one hand, chin resting in the other, Ja'far contemplated why he had chosen today of all days. He didn't usually go out on Sunday nights, simply because he knew work awaited him early the following morning, but tonight he had made an exception.

Due to a stroke of luck really, he happened to land a recently available position as the newest member of the Board of Directors at none other than Sindria Incorporated. Everyone south of Park Avenue was after the job, but somehow Ja'far was able to snatch it from the competition, which was ironic really since he had absolutely no desire to work there.

Sindria Inc. was established back when its well-known founder, Sinbad, made a few wise moves in the stock market at a very young age. After acquiring such sums of money so quickly, he was able to create his very own corporation that's business was to buy and sell other smaller companies. What started out as a small business that promised to "grant the wish of every client," soon grew and expanded to the multi billion-dollar company it is today. Rebranded and renamed, Sindria Inc. is the current owner of multiple companies with Sinbad himself as CEO.

Or so Ja'far had been told.

He was now working on his third beer of the evening when he really should've stopped at two, but he had decided he would take some painkillers and drink a bottle of Gatorade before heading off to bed that night since he had heard the combination was a possible hangover remedy. Not that he had ever been hung-over before, even in college he had been the model student throughout his entire experience at Columbia University and later when he attended their well-known business school right after graduating with his BAA.

The reason behind his sudden bout of rebelliousness was due to the fact that Ja'far was expected to arrive bright and early tomorrow morning to meet his new boss and coworkers. He rubbed at the crease between his furrowed eyebrows at the thought.

He needed a stronger drink.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

_Six Weeks Earlier_

When Ja'far had first heard of the available job opening at Sindria Incorporated he quickly dismissed himself from the running. He liked his job well enough even if some of his coworkers weren't the friendliest of people. It's not like you were expected to have actual friends at your job, right? Well at least Ja'far didn't. Friendships, or any type of relationship really, simply got in the way of getting any actual work done.

After the position had been open to applications for about a week or so, Ja'far received an email from his boss informing him that he was to come to his office that afternoon to discuss a problem with a client.

Ja'far raised his eyebrow at his computer screen as he reread the email. Well that was odd. When was the last time Kouen had asked him personally to come to his office? How about never, Ja'far thought with a sigh. Something was definitely up, but what?

Kouen, President of Kou Enterprises and Ja'far's boss, has been the biggest rival of Sinbad's corporation since the company's birth. Ja'far didn't know much about the man, but rumor had it that he has a very hands on approach on how he run his business and has no qualms with doing whatever job needs to be done with his own two hands. But what did he know? He couldn't even pick the man out of a coward. Who was he to critique his method of good business? But in comparison to Kouen who believes in using his assets to their greatest potential, which includes all his employees, Ja'far couldn't help but be a little biased towards the others method.

As the day slipped by, Ja'far racked his brain for the possible reason behind Kouen's obviously phony email. In the past, his boss had just approached him directly in his office if there was a matter he required assistance, with a slight knock Ja'far would be on his feet and out the door. Taking this into consideration, Ja'far became even more puzzled and when the time finally came for him to take the elevator to the top floor, which was solely reserved for the President's suite and office along with his assistant, he couldn't help but fidget with the sleeves on his white button-down shirt.

Ja'far exited the elevator as soon as the doors opened with his composure mostly restored. He strode with confidence and determination as he walked through the first room of many on his way to Kouen's office.

Just as his hand reached for the handle of the door leading to man who would hopefully answer the many questions buzzing through his mind, Kouen's assistant decided to scare the living daylights out of one unsuspecting Kou employee.

"Um, Ja'far?"

"Kouha, I didn't see you there," Ja'far whispered as one of his hands subconsciously went to rest against his chest and he attempted to slow the pace of his racing heart.

"What do you mean? I always sit here?" Kouha replied, ever the perky employee.

"Right, sorry, I didn't have coffee this morning, so I am a little under the weather." It was a lie, Ja'far didn't even drink coffee, but Kouha didn't need to know that.

"Oh, well that's alright I'll buzz him and let him know you're here."

"Thank you." Of course he couldn't just walk into his superior's office unannounced. It was probably for the best Kouha had stopped him from entering without permission, because if he was right about the integrity of Kouen's email he didn't have room to push his luck much further. With a deep breath Ja'far sat down in one of the chairs positioned opposite of Kouha's desk.

After he had spoken his thanks to the younger man, Kouha has swiftly hit the intercom on his desk phone and informed Kouen of his arrival. Now all he had left to do was wait. At least the chair was reasonably comfortable, but he was on the top floor of one of the biggest names in the city, the seat better be at least moderately comfortable. But not comfortable enough that you would want to spend the afternoon up here, especially if you didn't partially like heig-

"Kouha!"

Kouha swiftly picked up his phone's receiver as Ja'far kept tried to control the flinch that raked his body. Damn intercoms.

"Yes, sir. I'll send him in right away."

Could the man really not walk to his office door and invite Ja'far in himself? How lazy could his boss be?

"Ja'far, he is ready to see you"

"That's what I figured . . ." Ja'far grumbled, the disdain in his voice barely masked.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I said that is quite an nice axe you got there," Ja'far said, recovering his polite demeanor as quickly as possible.

Just above Kouha's head was an axe that was almost twice the length of the young man's modestly sized desk mounted in the center of the plain white wall. The pink-haired man always joked he could wield the strange device, but looking at his size in comparison to the antique blade no one ever took him seriously.

"Well, thank you. It is one of my most prized possessions." The man smirked with a look of almost bloodlust in his eyes, which was quite different in contrast to his almost child-like appearance.

"Ah, well it definitely adds something . . . special to the room. I'll be heading in now. Thank you for your assistance."

Not wishing to stick around his boss's assistant any longer, Ja'far quietly knocked as he turned the handle to Kouen's office door the second time that afternoon.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"So, word on the street is Sinbad is looking to turn his seven person circus into an eight. Were you aware?"

Ja'far now stood awkwardly in front of a large hand-craved agarwood desk. Upon his arrival, Kouen had barely acknowledged Ja'far's presence when he had first entered the spacious office. Instead his boss' eyes appeared to be glued to some paperwork situated in his lap, so the question took him completely by surprise.

"Uh, yes, sir I am aware." Ja'far attempted and probably failed to keep the quiver out of his voice as he addressed his superior as formally as he knew how.

Kouen leaned back in his chair and finally made eye contact with his subordinate.

"Good, that makes this easier."

Blinking at the man's reply, Ja'far shook his head slightly before responding.

"Makes what easier, sir?"

"I want you to be that eighth person."

"Excuse me sir, but I don't und-" Ja'far was sharply cut off as Kouen cleared his throat.

"Effective immediately, you no longer work at Kou Enterprises. Ja'far, you're fired."

Ja'far stared wide-eyed at the older man's words. He had been working at Kou Enterprises for the past five years and was a very trusted employee. Ja'far knew his work was appreciated, which is why he could not for the life of him understand what was occurring right in front of him. Swallowing and attempting to regain his bearings, Ja'far struggled to respond, but was cut off once more.

"I need you to be my eyes and ears inside Sindria Inc. and you can't be if you are still employed here. Understand?"

He couldn't be asking Ja'far what he thought he was askin-

"Are you asking me to s-spy on our biggest competitor, sir?"

"Precisely." The word slipped off the older man's tongue as if what he was implying didn't go against any sane person's moral code.

In an attempt to shed some reason on the current situation, Ja'far couldn't help but raise his voice with a hint of hysteria as he spoke.

"But would it not be suspicious if I were to apply for such a high ranked position at Sindria Inc. after getting randomly fired from its rival company, a company that I have been nothing but loyal to for many, many years?"

"Nah, not considered the fallout between you and your boss."

"We had a falling out, sir?" Ja'far couldn't keep the bewilderment from his words.

"Oh yes, it caused quite the scene on the top floor of Kou Enterprises."

Why was Kouen speaking in past tense?

"Sir?"

Kouen placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward slightly as he spoke in a barely audible whisper.

"Your goal right now is to get that position at Sindria Inc. at all costs. Don't disappoint me."

"Wait, you can't be ser-"

"I SAID GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE JA'FAR!"

Ja'far stood stalk still like a deer caught in headlights as the man he had known to be his boss was now yelling at him in quite colorful language. But the moment Kouen got up out of his seat Ja'far's feet couldn't seem to move fast enough. He knew when he wasn't wanted and he had no interest in sticking around to find out what his now late employer was capable of when provoked.

Even as he turned to leave he could still hear Kouen bellowing curse at his back, but he was in too much of a daze to fully comprehend what was being said.

Subtly avoiding Kouha's gaze as he passed the man's desk, Ja'far swiftly made his way through the room. He hastened his steps towards the elevator, but even half way across the corridor he couldn't mistake Kouen's voice as he addressed the smaller man from his doorway.

"I don't want that sorry excuse for a man within my sights every again!"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

_Six Weeks Later_

Determining that the booze wasn't sufficiently lessening his anxiety of the day to come, Ja'far decided that maybe a warm body would.

Ja'far turned his head slightly, surveying the room and its occupants as he took another swig from the half-empty bottle of his beer. As his eyes roamed over individuals dancing or just standing in small circles chatting amongst themselves, Ja'far's gaze locked onto a tall man who appeared to be laughing at a joke he had found particularly comical, as he was now heartily slapping the back of a slender yet toned white-haired man with unveiled mirth.

His eyes quickly scanned over the shorter man receiving the brutal sigh of affection long enough to determine the man was just not his type just by observing his apparel. A golden chain wrapped loosely around the tanned man's neck and trailed down hitting a golden belt to match. He wore a very revealing white top that did little to cover his defined shoulders and chest and with tight black shorts hanging low on his waist he looked more like a gigolo than a man of corporate business. Now Ja'far couldn't know for sure whether or not this man was indeed in the world of trades and stocks, but from frequenting this bar in the past Ja'far knew the vast majority of its cliental were indeed businessmen.

After another quick once over Ja'far turned back to carefully study the creature that had first caught his attention. With thick long purple hair tied at the nape and a broad chin, Ja'far was convinced he had never seen a more handsome man in all his life, but he was also slightly tipsy so he couldn't be held completely accountable for his theory in his current condition. The man turned slightly and grinned down at the tanned man standing beside him once more, flashing straight teeth and a devastating smile. Still dressed in a white button down shirt with dark grey slacks that hugged the man's perfect ass, he appeared to have walked straight out of a Calvin Klein commercial. His sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled to just below his elbows, which even from a short distance Ja'far could tell were quite muscular, and his matching jacket appeared to have been haphazardly tossed over the back of a chair nearby.

Ja'far took another sip of the bitter liquid he was currently using to calm his nerves, as he started his journey back over the gorgeous man's face again, but this time when his eyes traveled up a straight nose, bright hazel eyes caught his gaze. Coughing on the beer still in his mouth that he had yet to swallow, Ja'far turned back around in surprise as well as embarrassment of being caught staring.

How long had the man known he was looking? He probably thought Ja'far was some creepy stalker. It wasn't his fault the man was so attractive, it was basically impossible not to stare. You would have to be blind not to appreciate th-

Ja'far was brought out of his thoughts by a light tapping on his shoulder. With a heavy sigh Ja'far prepared himself for another old timer trying to press his luck and hoping to buy him a drink, which Ja'far would politely refuse like he always did. But when Ja'far actually turned around the tall purple-haired demigod was standing before him, not the chunky, short bald man he had been expecting.

Shocked into silence, Ja'far could do little more than gawk as he stared into those hazel eyes once more. Little flecks of gold filled the light brown irises and Ja'far found himself getting sucked into the man's heated gaze.

"Hi."

Nothing. Ja'far could not think of one logical reply as the man in front of him spoke the commonly used word of greeting with a smirk tugging on his lips. After another endless span of silence Ja'far took the last sip of his beer for liquid courage and couldn't have stopped the next words from tumbling out of his mouth even if he had tried.

"You wanna get out of here?"

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**A/N: Well there you go, chapter one is now officially complete. What'd ya guys think? You like? Let me know! Review, follow, favorite and all that jazz ;3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magi**

**A/N: Alrighty folks, buckle your seat belts and hang-on, cause he comes chapter two!**

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Sinbad loosened his tie as he stepped into one of the four elevators positioned throughout Sindria Inc. His company. Yeah, it still felt a bit surreal that he owned his very own corporation, but then again he wouldn't be working overtime on a Sunday night if it wasn't.

Pushing his sleeve slightly up his arm to gain access to the watch underneath, Sinbad sighed as he read that it was already thirty minutes past eight. If he didn't hurry the gang was going to think he was bailing on them, which if you knew Sinbad, just did not happen. Where there was alcohol and the promise of a good time, Sinbad was never too far away.

The elevator chimed in warning before its doors closed and it made its silent decent to the ground floor below without pause. Sinbad didn't truly mind being the only person in the building, he was use to it by now, but it still would have been nice to have some sort of company.

After exiting the elevator, the clicking sound of Sinbad's shoes was the only noise that permeated the otherwise quiet lobby as he made his way to the entrance of the building. The white marble floors appeared luminescent, the few lights still left on within the room creating the beautiful illusion.

As Sinbad reached the front door he didn't slow his pace, Hakuryuu, the ever-diligent doorman – door_boy_ really, as the kid didn't look a day over eighteen, timed the opening perfectly as to not impede Sinbad's stride with practiced efficiency.

Hakuryuu was dressed in what first appeared to be a charcoal black three-piece suit, but after closer inspection one could point out the slight differences. Instead of the usual tie, Hakuryuu wore a deep violet bow tie, which poked out of his crisp white collared shirt. The jacket more closely resembled a tailcoat, as it was quite a bit shorter in the front in comparison to the back, and its coattails extended down just above the boy's calves. Dual silver stripes were embroidered around each of the garment's sleeves to match the small silver buttons decorating the front. With a black service cap atop his head, the young man looked every part the respectable employee.

"Have a good evening, sir." Hakuryuu bowed slightly at the waist as he continued to hold the door open, showing no strain or unease even though the door was made fully of glass and had to weigh at least a ton.

Sinbad made his way through the door about to voice his thanks, but then turned back towards the boy and softly admonished, "Hakuryuu, how many times do I have to tell you? It's just Sinbad."

"I believe at least once more, sir."

Sinbad snorted softly at this and since Hakuryuu was still dutifully leaning forward at the waist, eyes on the ground, he noticed Sinbad slowly lean forward, mere inches from his face.

"Ah, but see one of these days I'll get you to say it . . . one way or another," the man whose hair perfectly matched the exact hue of the younger man's necktie whispered next to the Hakuryuu's ear. As he slowly pulled back, he winked teasingly at his flustered employee before continuing on his way to the nearby street to grab a taxi.

Once he hit the curb and was out of earshot the businessman could hold in his chuckle no longer. Seeing the boy's blushing face from the playful implication was just too priceless. Hakuryuu tried so hard to keep a cold professional mask in place at all times when on the job, but Sinbad just had too much fun messing with the poor kid.

While his jokes were totally harmless, Sinbad couldn't help but recall the face of a certain blonde errand boy who had a similar effect on the raven, but for very, very different reasons.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Sinbad hopped out of the cab about a block away from the well-known bar he and his colleagues often frequented on Sunday nights after tipping the driver quite handsomely for his speedy commute. It was sort of a tradition really; at the close of every weekend all the members of Sindria's Board of Directors came out to this old bar right off 17th street and hung out to the wee hours of the night. Although some would say drinking the night before the workweek began was ill advised, Sinbad had yet to miss the unspoken ritual since it began not six months prior.

Originally, it had just been Sinbad and Sharrkan, probably the most rumbustious of the group, but slowly over time all the higher-ups in the large corporation were miraculously appearing at the same bar every Sunday night around the same time as if in sync. And soon it became one of the few things Sinbad looked forward to during his hectic weeks at work.

But soon their close-knit family would be taking in another due to Sinbad's irrational need to bring just one more lost soul under his wing to nurture and watch over. While he didn't know much about his newest employee, Ja'far, Sinbad did at least know what the man looked like.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

_Four Weeks Earlier_

With her bright pink hair tied up in an elaborate bun, as to keep all of it up and out of her face, Kougyoku adjusted her glasses once more, trying to gather the courage to knock upon her boss' office door.

On a whim it seemed, Sinbad had stopped in front of her desk that morning, which startled her as he usually spoke a quick greeting as he passed her before heading straight towards his own office, and asked her to tell him the moment her coworker Masrur left his officer for an extended period of time. Kougyoku had blinked totally stupefied, but then she realized that her boss was indeed Sinbad and such a request was not usual for the CEO of Sindria Inc.

Reluctantly she had agreed and spent the remainder of the day stalking, for lack of a better term, the red-haired giant waiting for the right opportunity to inform her boss the second the man's office became vacant. When the time finally came, Kougyoku quietly knocked on Sinbad's office door after she felt she had sufficiently studied the grain of the wood from which it was built for a handful of minutes.

"Please come in Kougyoku ," Sinbad encouraged as he rose from his chair in a rush and bit his lip in anticipation. After a few moments of silence, Kougyoku finally realized that he was waiting for her to speak and briskly got her thoughts in order.

"Oh, ah Masrur just left his office to meet the man who is going to be interviewed for the new position today in the lobby, sir," Kougyoku whispered as she became intimately acquainted with the pattern of the rug covering her boss's office floor as a blush of embarrassment rose to her checks.

Just as the word "sir" finished passing from the girl's lips, Sinbad was already making his way towards his open door. With a quickly voiced "Thanks," Sinbad was out of his office and hastily making his way towards another's.

Technically, he wasn't allowed to interview, or even meet potential employees as he had a bad track record of hiring people on sight. Sinbad was nothing but a compassionate man, but ever the mischievous individual; Sinbad decided he would sneak into Masrur's closet just before, Ja'far he thought his name was, entered the room for his scheduled appointment in order to steal a peak at the new meat.

He had almost been discovered by the surprisingly attractive young man before the interview had actually begun when he had had the sudden urge to sneeze. Barely able to keep himself from moving, Sinbad lifted his head back to halt the sneeze demanding to come forth, which resulted in him pushing the door to the closet slightly open with a soft creak.

Though the freckled face turned faintly towards the disturbance while in midsentence, Ja'far must have contributed the noise to nerves as the man turned back to give Masrur his full and undivided attention for the rest of the interview. By the time they were done and Ja'far was politely shaking the red-haired man's hand, Sinbad was on the brink of wetting himself as he had decided to have three shots of espresso in his coffee that morning rather than the usual two.

Sinbad watched as Ja'far bowed once more before leaving the office and began to sag in relief until he noticed Masrur was not following him, but was instead steadily making his way to the closet in which Sinbad was currently occupying. In an attempt to escape detection, Sinbad started to slowly walk backwards deeper into the closet, hoping to hide in the shadows if the door were to be opened, but too focused on the danger in front of him instead of behind, he ended up tripping over his own feet.

With a loud crash Sinbad slipped back towards the right wall and tried to catch himself upon a set of shelves, but instead one of his shirt sleeves got caught on the corner of the shelf next to the wall, which then caused that entire portion of the garment to rip from the still descending form of the businessman.

Masrur closed his hand around the handle to his office's closet and opened it casually as if he hadn't heard Sinbad wreaking havoc within said closet. Once the door was open and light was allowed to brighten the tight dark space, Masrur caught sight of his boss's fallen silhouette.

"Ah Mas, there you are I was just-" The words died in the CEO's throat as the man standing before him slightly raised a bright red brow.

"Alright, fine I was spying, but to be fair, I wouldn't need to spy if you would just let me interview my own employees. Is that too much to ask?"

Masrur just continued to stare blankly at his employer. The man was just prolonging his own torture by contradicting himself without any further prompting from the silent giant, who couldn't help but be somewhat amused, though his face would never show it.

"I promise I won't hire five people for the same position again, it was just a sudden lapse in judgment, they were all very qualified and-"

"Ah, there you are!" As if on cue Sharrkan pranced into the office before stopping dead in his tracks to observe the scene before him. Masrur was standing silently next to his desk, which was pretty ordinary, but slightly to his left Sinbad was leaning on the red-head's desk slowly unbuttoning what appeared to be a rather tattered shirt.

"Oh, so what'd I miss?" Sharrkan teased with a cheeky grin as he elbowed Masrur in the side, which received a slight eyebrow raise, nothing more.

"That hot, huh? Don't wanna kiss and tell? No, I get it. Some of us enjoy observing more than actually participating, which is totally fine. Whatever floats your boat," Sharrkan continued as he winked at his taller colleague knowingly.

Though he secretly held strong feelings for the other man, Sharrkan's affections usually came out in playful banter, which seemed to not be getting the man any closer to confessing to Masrur, but Sinbad did love watching the boisterous man struggle with his emotions occasionally. Everyone in the office was taking bets on how long it would take the two to finally get together, but they weren't the only "couple to be" being wagered.

Sharrkan turned back to Sinbad to fully take in the man's disheveled appearance, taking great pleasure in the fact he was witnessing his boss in such a start, though it wouldn't be the first time, or the last for that matter.

"Let me guess…Sinbad got in here before Mas could and had his naughty way with the most recent candidate for the new position and discovered them getting in the closet and couldn't scrounge up the courage to tell you to stop...Am I close?"

Sinbad simply let out a loud bout of laughter at the suggested, Masrur's lips twitched slightly and Sharrkan smiled affectionately at his two colleagues, friends, brothers.

"Well, I can't walk around the office like this unfortunately, the whole female staff would be out of commission for at least a week and the company can't handle that kind of causality right now," Sinbad stated very matter-of-factly as he made his way to the phone on Masrur's desk.

Sharrkan scoffed at the man's theory as Sinbad punched in a short series of numbers and picked up the phone's receiver.

"Kougyoku"

A pause.

"Yes, it's me. No your timing was fine, I just need help with something and happened to still be in his room…"

Sinbad voice started at its normal fairly loud volume, but slowly lowered to barely a whisper as he attempted to reassure Kougyoku that no he hadn't been caught sneaking in Masrur's office, actually far from it, or so he was trying to make her believe.

"Oh no, its nothing serious, I just need you to run by my apartment and grab a shirt from my closet."

Another pause.

"Yes…the closet in my bedroom," Sinbad couldn't help but sound a little unsure of the need for the confirmation to what seemed like an obvious answer.

Longer pause.

"Kougyoku? Are you there?"

His poor assistant had quite the crush on him and though day-to-day it didn't pose too much of a problem, on occasion the woman was known to faint from blushing too much. Discovering this fact on day three of her employment, Sinbad had made a point in giving her as much space as he could, which worked mostly. But he had a feeling seeing him half nude might induce another episode.

When Kougyoku didn't response Sinbad merely shrugged and placed the receiver back in its cradled as he went to pick up his torn garment. She'd get him a shirt, eventually.

"Well gentlemen have a good rest of the day," Sinbad grinned, mock salute in place as he made his way into the main hallway of the 50th floor of Sindria Inc. still very shirtless, leaving two baffled men left to stare at one another in bewilderment.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

_Four Weeks Later_

The bell hanging just above the bar door jingled as Sinbad walked to the counter to order his usual, single malt scotch on the rocks, as he unbuttoned his sleeves and proceeded to roll them up his forearms. Sinbad caught his drink as the bartender tossed it down the countertop to meet his hand before making his way over to a provocatively dressed Sharrkan. No doubt the display of so much tanned skin was for the benefit of one particular set of ruby eyes, no matter how oblivious.

"Sorry I'm late, got caught up in some last minute paperwork," Sinbad offered as he greeted Sharrkan, Hinahoho, and Drakon, who were all standing in a loose semicircle laughing over a story Sharrkan seemed to have just finished telling.

"Sinbad you didn't really sleep with the guy we ended up hiring did you?" Hinahoho joked good-naturedly as realization dawned on the unsuspecting CEO.

Desperate for a change in subject Sinbad casually asked the group, "Where's Mas?"

"Oh he had to hit the little girl's room. You would think he would be able to hold more volume, you know, given his size, but the dude had barely finished his second beer before he left," Sharrkan explained.

But of course the white-haired man would know the exact location of Masrur, poor guy was making it so obvious, especially the way his eyes seemed to sparkle at having successfully picked up the new information on the other man.

Lovesick fool.

Sinbad slightly grimaced as he took the first sip of his drink and hummed contently as the liquid burned somewhat before slowly warming up his chest. As he was about to take another swig he couldn't help but feel as though he was being stared at, and more importantly where. It felt as if someone's eyes was zeroing in on his ass, not that he minded really, he was quite proud of his assets, but when he turned around in an attempt to catch his shameless admirer all he saw were numerous undulating bodies busting a move, or attempting to, on the dance floor next to him.

After a second or two he recognized three of the gyrating figures to be Pisti, Yamuraiha, and Spartos. Well Spartos, clothed in black from head to toe, wasn't moving much at all, but Pisti, who looked to be dressed as a flapper from the 20's, feather headband included, picked up his slack as she suggestively grinded back right into the taller man's lap. This caused a bright blush to stain the normally solemn man's cheeks. The blonde girl simply giggled at his reaction, before taking Yamuraiha's offered hand and twirling around in a small circle to the beat of the music playing in the background. The rather curvy woman released Pisit's hand after she had made a full circle and began to sway her hips from side to side in an unspoken rhythm as she ran her fingers through her vibrant blue hair. Wearing a short coral cocktail dress, Yamuraiha looked radiant.

Smirking at the petite girls antics and the older woman's effortless beauty, Sinbad continued to shift his gaze around the bar until his eyes connected with that of a very familiar freckled face. Not a moment after he had caught the man's stare, Ja'far quickly ducked his head to face the mirror behind the bar counter once more.

But the man hadn't moved fast enough for Sinbad to miss the way his eyes had grown impossibly large before all color left the man's face. It was quite the reaction, but what surprised Sinbad the most was that there was no recognition in the smaller man's eyes; it was as if he didn't know who Sinbad was.

And he had been staring at his ass.

A leer tugged as Sinbad's lips as he quietly slipped away from his group of colleagues and made his way over to the bar where Ja'far was seated, hunched over his drink as if he wished to jump inside the narrow neck of the beer in his hand to escape from the humiliation of being caught checking someone out.

In an attempt to not fluster the man further, though the point seemed rather moot, Sinbad lightly tapped upon the smaller man's shoulder in order to get his attention once more. After a slight pause Ja'far did turn around, but once he realized who had done the tapping his lips began to move in perfect silence. Sinbad tried to stifle a chuckle at the bewildered face of the younger man as he softly spoke.

"Hey."

Again no words left the flushed man's lips, as he appeared to be having an internal struggle with himself. And then Sinbad watched Ja'far hesitantly bring his beer to his soft pale lips, finishing its contents in one fast swallow, before he swept his tongue across them in a practiced nervous gesture.

Sinbad blinked in shock as the first words the man spoke that evening fell from those same enchanting lips.

"You wanna get out of here?"

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**A/N: Phew! Another chapter up, hope you guys enjoyed! Please review, favorite, follow, etc. you know the drill! 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic**

**A/N: Guys you have no idea what I had to do to make this chapter happened. A combination of moving into college and attending a cousin's wedding has me posting this from my phone. So if there are typos I apologize I just wanted to get this up as soon as possible. Hope you guys enjoy!**

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Sinbad's eyebrows rose briefly at the smaller man's unexpected, slightly slurred question and was unsuccessful in stopping the chuckle that escaped from his lips as he examined the smaller man's overall appearance more closely.

From across the room Sinbad hadn't noticed that Ja'far's pupils were almost completely blown. Where the iris began and the pupil ended was almost impossible to decipher. But even so, the pure want was not lost within their bottomless depths.

Ja'far had a few drops of beer sliding down his chin to his neck as if his last sip hadn't entirely made it to its planned destination. His cheeks were also deeply flushed, but Sinbad couldn't say if that was due to the booze or his own proximity, which he thought had to be having at least a small effect on the other man. Well he hoped.

When the gray gaze of the man still seated below him met his own, Sinbad tilted his head and smiled warmly as he spoke.

"That's quite forward of you, don't you think?"

Pausing to let the question sink in, Ja'far slowly muttered a reply.

"Mmmm. . . Perhaps."

Ja'far was just starting to feel the light buzz of the alcohol coursing through his veins. It was making him feel like he was floating and warm, very warm.

"Are you usually this bold?" Sinbad inquired as he took another swig of his scotch and hissed as it burned down his throat. From what Masrur told him, Ja'far was a soft-spoken man who didn't draw outside the lines when dealing with his profession, ever, or his personal life for that matter.

Ja'far lowered his stare and appeared to be seriously contemplating the question from the violet-haired man standing beside him and softly whispered, "No, not at all actually."

As the words entered the small space between them, the freckle-faced man seemed to go into slight shock. He shook his head slightly as if to clear it, before locking eyes with the stranger once more. When Sinbad met the shorter man's eyes this time, embarrassment had quickly replaced the heated lust that had just previously dwelt there. Sinbad was almost certain he had never seen anyone sober so rapidly, it was really quite impressive-unwanted, but impressive nonetheless.

Stuttering in shame, Ja'far struggled to get his lips to form words successfully and finally managed to stammer, "I-I apologize f-for even suggesting t-that-"

Ja'far was swiftly cut off as Sinbad leaned in to swipe his thumb over the man's lip and chin to collect the left over beer from earlier. The smaller man didn't appear to be moving, or breathing for that matter, as Sinbad brought the used appendage to his own lips and licked it clean before briefly sucking at the tip.

Sinbad watched as Ja'far's eyes dilated impossibly wider and his teeth bit into his bottom lip subconsciously. With the man's complete and undivided attention, Sinbad bent over once more to hover over the smaller man's lips and murmured softly against them.

"Suggesting that I should come home with you?" Sinbad nearly purred the words as Ja'far's lips parted on a gasp and his eyes fluttered close. Sober or not, Sinbad had no problem getting the man drunk on him instead of cheap alcohol. None whatsoever.

"I'd like that, if that's what you were indeed proposing. And as a totally impartial bystander, I don't think it would be right of me to let you attempt to travel home in your currentstate, alone. . ."

Ja'far glared at the man still standing with an icy stare. He was perfectly capable of getting home on his own, had done it hundreds of times in fact, though maybe not while partially impaired. Details, and unimportant ones at that, Ja'far told himself as he made to get up from his seat and get away from the too attractive and too sweet smelling hunk of male just within his reach.

He knew coming out tonight was a bad idea, but he just needed-

Ja'far wasn't able to continue his train of thought as just a moment after he forced his body to support all his weight on just two shaky limbs, said body had called it quits almost immediately. Luckily, Sinbad easily caught the falling man before it was too late and Ja'far would be nursing a lot more than just a hangover in the morning.

"Now do you understand why I can't let you go home by yourself?" Sinbad tried to not sound condescending as he addressed the wobbling man again before Ja'far attempted to get out of Sinbad's supporting embrace.

Sinbad chuckled as he watched the freckle-faced manscrunch his brows in contemplation at the taller man'swords; it really was rather cute.

"I guess you have a point, seeing as I can't seem to walk on my own," Ja'far conceited as he removed himself from Sinbad's too comfortable embrace, opting for just having Sinbad lightly guide him with an arm loosely wrapped around his slim waist. Even with his head turned slightly away from Sinbad's, the older man couldn't mistake the darker shade of pink dusting the other man's face.

As Ja'far took one last longing look at the bar stool he had just previously been occupying, his safe haven of sorts when compared to the sex on legs waiting at his side, a bright shock of red moving slowly towards the scantily clad man from earlier with a tan that spoke of a heritage from a place far away caught his attention. Just out of the corner of his eye, Ja'far could see the color that had grabbed his gaze belonged to a rather large man that not only had vibrant red hair, but also had his lower lip pierced with a golden stud.

Before Ja'far could contemplate further where he had seen such a man before, Sinbad was grabbing his wrist and bodily dragging him towards the bar's entrance without another word.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The two sat in the back of a taxicab in tense silence for what felt like hours as the vehicle covered the few blocks between the bar and Ja'far's apartment. After giving the driver his address, Ja'far became acutely aware of his body and the distance between himself and the attractive stranger in the limited space the cab's tight rear seat allowed its two occupants.

Ja'far was certain they would have been in bed and naked by now if they had just walked, it wasn't that far. But then again that was the scenario in which Ja'far didn't get incapacitated after drinking only three beers and he was the one dragging the handsome stranger back to his apartment, not the other way around.

When the taller man had suggested they take the commonly used form of transportation, Ja'far had snorted at the man's absurd statement and turned sharply to begin his trek back home on foot, as if forgetting his almost mishap just moments earlier. Well, that was until he stumbled and was swiftly caught by the strong arms of the man he had previously been planning to bed in the next 24 hours, again.

Ja'far did prefer that his face not become a permanent impression on the pavement of the sidewalk and muttered a begrudged "Thank you" before relenting and letting the mysterious man hail a taxi as Ja'far attempted to stop the world from spinning, but it was becoming more and more difficult the longer he remained standing.

That was nearly an hour ago, or so it felt to Ja'far. It had never taken him this long to get home from that bar. Not saying he went to the bar often, because he didn't, but-

"This it?" The driver huffed as if he had better places to be than escorting a drunk and his gooney around town. Ja'far slowly turned his head in the direction of the building just outside the cab's window and made a small noise of confirmation before he started to look for his wallet.

After two minutes of scrabbling, the purple-haired man pulled out his own wallet and gave the driver a hundred dollar bill, quickly requesting that he keep the change as he reached for Ja'far's prone waist and hauled him out of the cab.

Once on firm ground again, Ja'far stumbled to the front door of his apartment complex before pushing through the revolving door to enter into the building's quite picturesque lobby with Sinbad swiftly trailing behind.

Ja'far managed to get into the elevator out of sheer willpower before pushing the button to his floor on autopilot. A large hand slapped the side of the closing door abruptly, which caused Ja'far to jump back slightly in shock. Sinbad rolled his eyes as he go into the lift and the doors resumed their motion, sealing Ja'far and the stranger inside as they made their vertical journey.

The seconds slowly passed as the number just above the closed doors rose higher and higher and with it so did the temperature of the elevator. Ja'far felt his pulse quicken from simply glancing in the taller man's direction. When he was finally able to sneak a peak at the man's face, he found the stranger staring right back with a smirk on his lips.

Ja'far attempted to sputter a reply as to why he was staring at the man for the hundredth time that evening, but a loud chime alerted the elevator's passengers that it had indeed arrived at its requested destination.

Turning an even deeper shade of red, Ja'far swiftly raced out of the lift to unlock his apartment door at the end of the narrow hallway, trying and failing to leave Sinbad in the dust. When he finally reached his door and became to get the key into the lock, Ja'far's fingers seemed to go numb and his breathing increased. The heat radiating from the man standing just within an inch of him stood innocently peering over his shoulder to watch him struggle to get his own door unlocked was incredibly distracting.

Ja'far was finally able to get the door unlocked after several botched attempts and a few deep breathes before slowly opening the door and walking inside with a tense gate.

"Nice pla-" Sinbad was cut off by the harsh crash of lips upon his own as he was bodily shoved against the nearest wall. Not one to complain about the faster pace, Sinbad reached below Ja'far's waist to give the ass he had been staring at all evening a generous squeeze.

Gasping at the unexpected grope, Ja'far deepened the kiss, swiftly thrusting his tongue to tangle with the other's. Ja'far reached his arms above his head to encircle Sinbad's neck between them as he hung on for dear life. Within seconds Sinbad had transformed Ja'far into a moaning, mussed mess.

Ja'far finally broke the kiss out of necessity for air and to clear his lust filled mind. On impulse, he hovered just a hairbreadth away from the taller man's lips and softly whispered his demand.

"Bed. Now."

Sinbad blinked at the freckled face below him in shock before he quickly hoisted the man up so Ja'far could more easily wrap his legs around Sinbad's waist. Once he felt somewhat secure around the taller man's abdomen, which he noted to be as hard as a brick wall, Ja'far resumed his exploration of the other's mouth with renewed vigor.

Almost stumbling as he finally got to the desired piece of furniture, Sinbad flopped onto it with Ja'far still clinging to him like a lifeline. Sinbad carefully removed Ja'far's arms from around his neck so that he could begin to unbutton and remove the dazed man's shirt.

Once the garment was shoved aside, Sinbad latched onto the smaller man's neck with a desperate hunger. With a slight drag of teeth over Ja'far's pulse, Sinbad had the man keening and whimpering for more. As Sinbad continued to assault the gray-haired man's neck, he began to work at Ja'far's fly.

With one hand sliding the zipper of his pants down and another reaching over ivory skin to pinch and pluck a pebbled nipple, Ja'far couldn't tell which way was up and said so by releasing a breathy moan from his lips as his cock finally met the chilly air of his bedroom.

Ja'far made a valiant attempt at getting Sinbad's fly undone as well, but the moment Sinbad's palm connected with the smaller man's shaft, his hands fell limply by his sides to only seconds later be gripping the sheets they rested upon. Sinbad continued to trail kisses and nips down the column of Ja'far's pale neck before reaching the nipple that had up to this point remained untouched. Just as he began to give Ja'far's leaking cock slow teasing strokes, Sinbad sucked the puckered nub in between his lips before lightly nipping at the tip.

Ja'far whined as his hips lifted subconsciously to meet Sinbad's cruel hand, seeking friction and more of anything the man sought to give him. Soon Sinbad's strokes increased to the point of almost painful, as he persistently peppered Ja'far's chest and nipples with marks and bruises.

All too soon Ja'far felt the warning signs of release just within his grasp, as the pleasure seemed to center and coil in his gut. As if able to read Ja'far's body like a book, Sinbad swiped his thumb over Ja'far weeping head before lightly toying with the slit and pre-come he found there. This in combination with Sinbad's tongue sliding up the shell of his ear to deliver a sharp bite to a flushed ear lobe threw Ja'far violently from the edge as he came with a shattered cry.

His shout of relief bounced off the barren walls of his bedroom as ropes of release splattered onto Ja'far stomach and all over Sinbad's still-stroking hand. The taller man watched in fascination as Ja'far rode out the rest of his orgasm in complete silence.

When Sinbad looked up after catching his breathe, he was met with the softly slumbering face of Ja'far who had apparently passed out just after reaching his end. With a smile, Sinbad got up to get a warm rag to clean off Ja'far's sleeping form and hand before dragging Ja'far and himself up to the top the bed. In an attempt to not wake Ja'far, Sinbad carefully pulled the sheets from underneath the smaller man and tucked them both in. He couldn't wait to see the man's expression the next morning, he had a feeling it was going to be very, very amusing.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Ja'far woke with a start. Something warm and hard was pressed up against his face, but he honestly couldn't seem to care, because whatever it was, it smelled heavenly. Well, that was until his alarm started to buzz and he realized he had exactly thirty minutes to shower, get dressed, and out the door to make it to Sindria on time.

Finally forcing his eyes open, Ja'far's gaze met a broad, tanned chest colliding with his cheek. Shocked beyond words, Ja'far hastily got up from the bed, pointedly ignoring the larger man's form shifting beneath his sheets as he frantically looked for a clean pair of underwear.

Sinbad slowly turned to stretch with a groan as he murmured a slurred hello. Ja'far, boxer briefs on and secure, marched over to the dozing man in his bed and lowered his face withing inches of the other's nose.

"Oh, do I get a good morning kiss?" Sinbad teased as he sat up to lean up against the headboard of the smaller man's bed.

"I am only going to say this once, so pay attention. I am starting a new job today at Sindria Incorporated. You know, the really tall building off Park Avenue, really famous? Yeah, well I am expected to be there ready to work in forty-five minutes and that means you need to be out of my apartment by the time I get out of the shower. Got it?"

Ja'far's eyebrows rose in question to the taller man's ability to understand as he stared with none of the heat from just the night before. Sinbad gave a slight nod, still in stunned from the unexpected speech as Ja'far quickly turned on his heel towards the bathroom with his hand placed on his forehead.

When Ja'far emerged from the shower moments later, he was pleasantly surprised to find no handsome stranger still in his bed. Well, if he was honest with himself, he was a tad bit disappointed the man hadn't put up more of a fight that morning.

Images from last night flashes through his mind. Calloused hands and sharp teeth giving him more pleasure than he could have ever imagined. With a quick shake of his head to clear the less than clean thoughts running through his mind, Ja'far went over to quickly make his bed before getting dressed.

When he picked up one of the pillows strewn out on his bed he found a black silk tie lying underneath.

He probably left that on purpose. It's not like I have a number to call even if I wanted to.

With a heavy sigh, Ja'far went about his morning as usually before walking out of his apartment and grabbing a taxi in route to Sindria Inc.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Ja'far couldn't help but nervously fiddle with his tie as the elevator quietly rose higher and higher up the tall building where he was now currently employed.

When the elevator reached the floor which contained all of the office suites of each member of the Board of Directors of Sindria Inc. Ja'far calmly walked out onto the carpeted floor.

Before he was able to get himself lost, Ja'far felt a presence by his right shoulder. When Ja'far turned, he found the man who had interviewed him weeks earlier standing silently by his side.

"Let me show you to your office," Masrur spoke impassively as he strode in front of Ja'far and didn't turn back to see if the shorter man was following.

Ja'far snapped out of his stupor and trotted off to follow the vaguely familiar redhead down a hallway lined with office doors on either side. Some were open, but empty, while some were closed with the lights off. One he passed, contained a man with vibrant long blue hair and a thick build attempting to log in to his computer. He didn't seem to be having much luck.

Masrur stopped abruptly at the last door on the left. When Ja'far finally caught up to the strangely stoic man he couldn't stop his jaw from dropping open as he took in his new accommodations. The office was fully furnished with red mahogany, from the large desk, complete with hutch, to the book shelves that were strategically placed throughout the spacious room. And since he had a corner office, Ja'far had an almost complete panoramic view of the city.

Ja'far's jaw clicked back into place when Masrur addressed him from just outside his office door, where he was still standing.

"We have a mandatory meeting in the conference room in twenty minutes. Please be prompt."

Ja'far gave a kurt nod before watching the vaguely familiar redhead walk back down the hall to his own personal office.

Finally alone, Ja'far calmly sat down in the plush leather swivel chair placed right behind his desk. Ja'far pushed his foot slightly against the carpeted floor, which swerved his chair to face the cityscape just outside his windows. Gazing from building to building, Ja'far's eyes traveled over advertisements and company logos until he stumbled upon Central Park. The only real portion of nature for miles in the city, the well-known recreational area was one of Ja'far's favorite places to stroll on pleasant afternoons.

With a long sigh Ja'far went to check his watch, he then discovered he had been daydreaming for far too long as he now had approximately three minutes to get to the conference room on time and he had yet to even figure out where this allusive room was.

In the most professional fashion, Ja'far sprang up from his chair and raced down the hall as calmly as possible noticing that all the offices had lights on but chairs empty. Ja'far swallowed nervously as he reached a door that was still closed. With a soft knock, the door slid open to a large room with an even larger round table taking up the majority of its space. Nine chairs surrounded the enormous piece of furniture, seven of which were filled. Ja'far quickly maneuvered himself to sit beside a short blonde girl and a thin man dressed in all black. Everyone seated were in conversation with one another so Ja'far was left to mess with his tie once more.

Ja'far looked across the travel to see a tanned man with bright white hair. But before Ja'far could ponder further where he had seen such hair and skin the door to the conference room opened suddenly.

"Hello everyone, sorry I'm late. Let's go ahead get started shall we? Masrur, you mind doing the honors?"

Ja'far's eyes grew impossibly wide as the handsome stranger from last night and this morning stood before him dressed every part the CEO of one of the largest corporation in New York City.

Sinbad.

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**A/N: Again a apologize for any typos! I also wanna give a shout out to KeiMaxwell who beta-ed the first part of this chapter. You should go check out her writing. Anywho, hope you liked and please review if you did ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic**

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I know this chapter took longer than the pervious ones, but with moving in and getting use to my new class schedule here at university, finding the time to write was extremely difficult. But do not fret! For I have not forgotten my lovely readers and their need to see this story continue! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, followed, and reblogged (on tumblr)! Ya'll are awesome and make my day! Please enjoy!**

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Ja'far liked to consider himself a pretty responsible individual. Throughout his journey through academia and beyond, Ja'far prided himself on his ability to avoid following the crowd and instead focusing on what society deemed important. Or more accurately, what he thought was important, which just happened to coincide with society.

In high school, this meant not going to parties or hanging out with friends on school nights, or any nights for that matter, which caused the number of people who asked Ja'far to hangout when he obviously couldn't, drastically decrease. But Ja'far was used to being alone and convinced himself even before he reached adulthood that it was better that way and it made it easier to study. Alone.

In college, this meant not doing drug and not going to even crazier parties. Ja'far would have added sex to the list of things he would not dare to engage in, but he was human. He had needs, but Ja'far made sure to never complicate necessity with an actual feelings. All of Ja'far's attempts at exploring his newfound sexuality as a freshman at an Ivy League school were simply that of the flesh and nothing more. Relationships took time and energy that Ja'far could just simply not afford if he wished to stay on the dean's list for all four years of undergrad, which he did.

Yes, sometimes Ja'far found himself feeling a bit lonely, but as he entered graduate school and went on to work in the ever-changing world of business in one of the biggest cities on the globe, he continued to convince himself that it was merely a moment of weakness that should be overlooked in order for him to achieve his overall goals.

The only problem was he had achieved all his goals at the ripe age of twenty-five. And with all his targets reached, Ja'far was made painfully aware of what he had missed on the road to his current "success."

Ja'far had been able to manage most obstacles that had cropped up in his life since he had come to this unfortunate realization, but now one tall, dark and handsome man was shattering Ja'far's perfect exterior and exposing the prone man beneath.

Struggling to comprehend how his life had changed so rapidly from yesterday morning, Ja'far watched the lips of the man he now recognized to be Masrur move in slow motion as the redhead calmly addressed the people seated around the large round table. Ja'far assumed Masrur was discussing the most recent mergers or sales or something to do with the company as a whole, but he was too busy trying to connect the dots from his interview to this morning to focus on putting the words he vaguely heard coming from the stoic man's mouth together to make coherent sentences in his mind.

Pieces of the puzzles were slowly starting to fit together.

Masrur must have been the red-haired man he had seen at the bar coming back to join Sinbad and his fellow coworkers when Ja'far was being bodily removed from the establishment by his, unbeknownst at the time, boss. Lip piercing still in place, Masrur looked almost identical to the man from last night, apart from his slightly less mused hair. Ja'far tried to keep himself from smacking his own forehead at the uncanny similarity. That was the last time he went out drinking on a Sunday night.

The tanned individual he had also seen at the bar standing close to Sinbad, was now seated two chairs over to his left absently tapping his fingers against the wood tabletop. Ja'far could barely recognize the man without his chain necklace and showy apparel. With a form-fitting navy pinstriped suit and a bottom down shirt almost the shade of magenta peeking out from underneath, top two buttons undone, the man looked every bit the casual businessman in disguise. His hair was neatly tied at the nap while his bangs softly rested across his forward in a gently sweep of white locks. Small diamond studs replaced the flashy golden hoops from the night before and gave the man an air of chic wealth.

Ja'far had to have seen the man walking around the day of his interview not six weeks ago. If only he had been paying more attention then maybe he wouldn't be in the situation he was currently in now, which was eyeing the man he had slept with last night. Well, more like the man who had brought _him_ to a somewhat gratifying release last night…

_More like thrust the most intense orgasm you have ever experience forcefully out of your body with just his hand and mouth._

Ja'far closed his eyes and the thought and shook his head slightly as if to clear it. When he opened his eyes once again, Ja'far's gaze drifted over to man presently occupying his mind.

Sinbad turned slightly in his chair and rested his chin in his right palm with his complete attention on Masrur as he went on about a particular client the company was having difficulties with. The practiced gesture drew Ja'far's gaze to Sinbad's rather large hand. Just hours earlier that hand had been wrapped tightly around his leaking cock and had stroked Ja'far through release and aftershocks like nothing he had ever experienced. Ja'far didn't know if it had felt so intense due to the alcohol or maybe Sinbad was just extremely talented when it came to anything sexual. Probably both.

When Ja'far had first come in to be interviewed for his current position at Sindria Inc., he hadn't thought the CEO of one of the biggest companies in New York City would be gay, or if he was, he hadn't thought Sinbad would be so obvious as to take a man home in front of all his colleagues. Shows what he knew. If he had been smart, Ja'far should have at least looked up what his new boss and employer looked like and thus been able to avoid this whole mess from the start.

But in all honesty at this point in time Ja'far couldn't make himself believe he completely regretted what had transpired in his bed just hours ago. Ja'far had known shamelessly staring at Sinbad from across the bar that night had been a risk. If it had turned out Sinbad was straight, the evening could have ended very differently. Ja'far usually didn't make eyes at anyone he wasn't positive was rooting for the right team, but Sinbad was in a league of his own and Ja'far hadn't been able to resist.

As Masrur continued on about something or other, Ja'far found his eyes wander up Sinbad's arm, across his hand to where a finger was softly resting against the man's upper lip. With windows covering two sides of the spacious conference room, Sinbad was softly bathed in natural light, which seemed to accentuate the man's strong jawline and soft lips. If it was humanly possible, the CEO looked even more gorgeous than he had last night when Ja'far has been slightly inebriated.

The man really did have beautiful lips. The upper slightly thinner than the lower, which was as plump and as kissable as Ja'far remembered. And just behind them were teeth that nipped and teased. Ja'far had no idea his neck could be so sensitive. No one he had been with prior had ever spent the time to find his most tender spots and exploit them to such a degree.

Ja'far felt himself slightly harden under the table at the thought of the older man playing his body so perfectly, like a musician with his most prized instrument, knowing all the hidden places to touch in order to create a flawless melody.

Lost in thought, Ja'far jerked when Sinbad caught his stare and smirked knowingly before standing up. Ja'far grabbed the mug resting near him on the table in an attempt to hide the blush that rose up his neck to reside high on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He really needed to stop staring and being so painfully obvious. Out of desperation, Ja'far attempted to take the smallest sip of the foul liquid as he could while Sinbad began to address the room once more.

"As many of you may already know Sindria Inc. has just recently hired a new member to the Board of Directors. I ask that everyone seated at this table make a conscious effort to have him feel welcome here. Ja'far, if you wouldn't mind, please introduce yourself."

As his name left the older man's lips, Ja'far's hand tipped the cup further than he had intended, which thus poured four times the amount of liquid the grey-haired man had initially planned to consume. When the bitter substance reached the shocked man's tongue, Ja'far sputtered in complete disgust.

Seconds passed as he tried to get his appearance back in order before nervously flattening his tie down to his chest and standing up awkwardly.

"Uh, hello. As Sinbad already mentioned my name is Ja'far. I hope to accomplish much while I am here and I would greatly appreciate your patience as I get accustomed to this new work setting. Thank you," Ja'far muttered as he nodded faintly before sitting back down as calmly as possible and struggling to clean the mess he had previously made on the polished wood table.

Silence filled the room once more as all eyes locked on one man who was currently attempting to melt into the floor, with little such luck. A clap broke the silence as Sinbad hummed in resolution before focusing his attention on a petite blonde woman seated just beside Ja'far.

"Well, now that that is settled, Pisti, what's on the docket for today?"

The next thirty minutes were a blur. Ja'far tried to remember the names of everyone seated around the table as they were carelessly tossed out in casual conversation. Anything business related went straight over the smaller man's head as Ja'far had almost no context for what his coworkers were discussing.

When Sinbad made to stand once more it was not nearly soon enough.

"Alright everyone, let's change lives," Sinbad proclaimed as his gaze scanned the faces of the eight other individuals still seated in the room with a cheeky grin. Ja'far wouldn't learn till much later that Sinbad had gotten accustomed to tossing the little phrase out at the end of every meeting since the birth of his company. Though the thought that such a large corporation would actually be able to accomplish such a feat was a bit far-fetched, the CEO of Sindria Inc. still wanted his coworkers to understand that at the end of the day that was the mark they should strive for in their professional lives as well as their personal ones.

As if on cue, everyone seated stood up in unison and hastily made their way towards the exit. Well everyone except Ja'far, who remained sitting and staring blankly at his boss who was still standing on the other side of the table.

In an attempt to break the tense silence, Ja'far met the taller man's stare as he straightened his shoulders subconsciously.

"Sinbad-"

"Just Sin please."

Ja'far blinked several times in astonishment as the other man swiftly cut him off. He tried again.

"I'd rather not, this is a professional setting and nicknames are too-"

"Intimate?"

Swallowing nervously, Ja'far averted his gaze before blushing scarlet once more as he quietly stuttered a reply.

"A-among other things yes…"

"Don't you think it's a little late for that now? Considering what we did last night and all," Sinbad stated with a slight chuckle.

The question sent Ja'far for a loop once again. Of course the man who he happened to take home last night was his boss and his boss just happened to be the most straight forward, no-nonsense, tell it how it is, kind of guy.

Perfect.

Ja'far couldn't manage a reply, because the man was in fact somewhat accurate in his assumption. Ja'far had basically laid himself completely bare and as vulnerable as one could physically get with another individual, so calling Sinbad by a nickname should be water under the bridge at this point.

The smaller man's head turned quickly as Sinbad began to speak again.

"Besides, around here it's really not like that. Affectionate, maybe, but my colleagues are my closest friends so I expect some kind of affection from them. Also, I want everyone to feel comfortable to come to me for help if they need it, hence the nickname. Makes me seem less intimidating, or so I like to think."

At a complete loss for words, Ja'far remained silent. The loud thump of Sinbad's hands hitting the table as he made to stand jostled Ja'far enough to make the man quickly scramble to his feet.

"Since I have some time this morning, would you like the grand tour?"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Ja'far stood awkwardly holding his right arm just above the elbow with his left hand as he watched Sinbad rush around his office in search of some important documents Ja'far still needed to look over and sign.

After being guided through the entire floor and greeting all the members of the board separately, Ja'far could safely say he was a tad bit overwhelmed. Each individual was just that, an individual. And very unique ones too.

One woman he met, who went by the name Yamuraiha, was a fairly friendly person, but Ja'far could tell that if push came to shove she could definitely hold her own. Even with her very feminine figure, she appeared to take her job very seriously and expected to be treated as an equal in a company composed of mostly men. He was also formally introduced to the man he had sat next to in the meeting that morning. Spartos, he was called, had a very apathetic demeanor and hair that was not only absolutely straight but also cut at a razor sharp edge angled down across his brow. His hair also happened to be a completely different shade than the average redhead. Unlike Masrur's vibrant fire-truck-red mane, Spartos' locks had more of a pinkish hue.

Once he had met and been introduced to everyone, Ja'far decided that the company's elite must have had a pact to eventually have every color of the rainbow present when they would go out together as a group. Ja'far could only imagine the spectacle they would make at the annual Christmas party later that year.

Ja'far jerked violently when the sound of a young woman's voice rang out from Sinbad's phone positioned somewhere on his desk, or Ja'far assumed though he could not actually see the device under the multiple piles of paper strewn all over the CEO's desk.

"Sir? Miss Morgiana from the main lobby is on line one. I believe it has something to do with the messenger boy, I-I think?"

The young woman seemed to be trying to come across as polite and convincing as possible over the phone while still sounding a tad out of breath. Ja'far recognized the voice almost immediately as the young pink-haired woman he had passed earlier seated just outside Sinbad's office. He concluded she had to be the man's assistant and completely infatuated with the older businessman since she had barely acknowledged Ja'far's presence both before and after being introduced. Talk about a dead fish handshake. He couldn't help but be slightly curious as to the efficiency of the peculiar dynamic.

Did she know the man was gay?

Ja'far scoffed to himself at the thought, he knew he wouldn't be the one to break the news to the poor girl, but he suddenly realized he wasn't sure himself…Not that he was planning on doing anything sexual with the man again, but still…He seemed pretty skilled and they hadn't even had sex. But could it have possibly been a one-time thing? Ja'far could only imagine what totally submitting to the other would feel like-

"Stop it!" Ja'far harshly snapped to himself as Sinbad struggled to find the handset through the mess of parchment on his tabletop. Before pressing a button that allowed him to voice a reply to his ever-enthusiastic assistant, one purple brow rose slowly in question to the younger man's random outburst.

Ja'far shook his head frantically and waved his hand in an attempt to assure the man he was clinically sane and not having a conversation with himself-about him.

Seeming placated for the time being, Sinbad returned his attention to the person on the other end of the phone line.

"Alright, thank you Kougyoku. Could you send the call through?"

Sinbad appeared to be completely oblivious to the flustered state the young woman was currently in or was steadily ignoring it as if on autopilot.

"Of course sir. Just one moment."

A second later the phone beeped announcing that another person had been connected to the line in place of the other.

"Morgiana?"

Sinbad was now leaning on his right elbow on his desk with his fingers stroking across his creased forehead. Apparently he had received this type of call before in a very similar fashion.

Another feminine voice, though much more monotone and impassive than the last, came over the speaker and calmly addressed the CEO.

"Excuse me sir, but Alibaba is here and he appears to have the papers you requested yesterday."

A smile split Sinbad's face at the statement and he was quick to reply.

"Great, could you please send him up?"

The line went silent for a moment before Morgiana conjured up a response.

"He seems to be otherwise preoccupied, sir."

Sinbad rolled his eyes at this. He then began to shake his head lightly as he made eye contact with Ja'far and softly spoke to the young woman.

"Oh, he's harassing poor Hakuryuu again isn't he?

Another pause.

"I'm afraid I don't know, sir."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Wanna know something?"

Alibaba suavely crooned at the blushing brunette standing rigidly by the entryway to Sindria Incorporated. Alibaba casually leaned against the glass wall of the tall skyscraper just inches from the flushed doorman's face, slowly invading more and more of Hakuryuu's personal space.

"Alright, fine I'll tell you. I think you've been playing hard to get for far too long."

Hakuryuu did everything in his power to not meet the blonde's eyes, shrinking further and further against the glass wall behind him. Silence continued to fill the space between the two young men till Alibaba hummed before leaning even closer to the helpless brunette.

"But don't worry. This can be easily resolved. You free for dinner tonight?"

Before the trembling man could stutter out a reply the pink-haired lobby receptionist opened the door slightly and stared at the blonde with an unwavering stare waiting patiently for Alibaba to take notice.

As Hakuryuu noticed Morgiana's presence he straighten his shoulders, smoothly slide out from underneath Alibaba, and gripped the gold handle of the entrance to relieve the young woman of the door's weight.

"Morgiana, good afternoon."

Hakuryuu politely bowed, as was his duty, before anxiously looking between Morgiana and the blonde still standing bemused against the wall. Alibaba made to ask Hakuryuu once more, pointedly ignoring the young woman still standing in the doorway who had rudely interrupted his attempt at asking out the brunette, when Morgiana swiftly spoke, her voice lacking any emotion.

"Sinbad told me to tell you to 'quit flirting'. He needs those papers in his office immediately."

The blonde turned a lovely shade of pink from the base of his neck to tops of his ears and jerkily averted his gaze from Hakuryuu, swiftly making his way into the building, awkwardly squeezing by Morgiana, who remained unmoving, completely humiliated.

That was not how he had been expecting that to go.

Shit.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, sorry not sorry, I need me some Alihaku, always. Sorry that nothing too exciting happened in this chapter, but there does need to be somewhat of a development period. Let the UST begin folks! Review, follow, favorite etc. you know the drill. Till next time guys ^^**


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